Brushtech Deluxe Coffee Pot Cleaning Brush

I have medium size coffee pot to clean and this brush is a bit large to use. If I bend it in the right way it works, but it is rather large. Got a large pot...should work very well.

This is a good idea, but the bristles are very stiff and tend to flatten/bend easily. It's useful, but the bristles could be better. Wire holding bristles is very thick and while it is bendable, it is hard to do. Probably would not buy again.

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Thank you so much for the brush! I had no idea there was a better way to clean a coffee pot. Thank you, again!

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It works pretty good. You can bend it into any shape you need. If you have a pot with a tight neck, this should do it.

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Bosch Tassimo T20 1 Cups Espresso Machine

If you are anything like me you're probably trying to decide between a Tassimo system and a Keurig system. The apartment complex where I live has a Keurig system and free coffee (can't beat that), and I own the Tassimo system. The reason I bought the Tassimo system was because I happen to like the frothed up milk on top of the coffee -cappuccinos, lattes, etc. The Keurig system doesn't have this feature.

However, I think I made a mistake in going with the Tassimo. The selection of coffees is really poor when compared to Keurig, especially now that Starbucks has decided to stop being a supplier. I also have to buy my coffee from Amazon, but with Keurig even my local grocery store carries their coffee. I also think the Keurig's coffee wins on taste. Of course taste is a subjective thing, but to me the Keurig system's coffee just tastes better. On occassion I also like tea. The Keurig's tea selection is also much larger and again tastes better (actually a lot better).

Answering which system is faster is also important. When your just standing there waiting for your coffee several seconds really does matter. With the Tassimo it is ready to brew as soon as the water reservoir is filled up an put on the machine. If the Keurig system is off and you fill up the water reservoir then it takes about 90 seconds before it is ready to brew. However, usually you will start with the machine already on and ready to brew -no 90 second wait. Plus, once the Keurig system is read to brew (which is the normal state) then the Keurig system actually produces a single cup of coffee faster than the Tassimo. I'm guessing here, but I'd say the Keurig produces a cup of coffee in about 15 or 20 seconds and the Tassimo is about 10 to 15 seconds longer. If you add a milk topping (latte, cappiccino, etc.) it will take even longer.

Where the Tassimo system shines is the convience of adding a milk pod and getting a latte, cappuccino, or chai tea. It really does work and the froth doesn't immediately fall apart -although it is not the same quality froth you get from a Starbucks cafe. Yet, if you go with the Keurig it really doesn't take too long to throw some milk in the microwave for 20 seconds and froth it up with a cheap Aerolatte Milk Frother, which will have denser bubbles and last a little longer than what you get with the Tassimo. But then you need to wash up an extra glass, and with the Tassimo there is no extra clean up.

Tassimo also has a pretty good hot chocolate as long as you stick to a small glass and don't delute it with too much water by trying to make a larger glass. I've never had the Keurig hot chocolate, but I can't imagine that it would be better than Tassimo's because Tassimo makes their's with milk while Keurig does not.

So, if you like coffee without the frothed milk then Keurig is the easy choice. If you want hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos, and chai tea then you might want to go with the Tassimo. It does work as advertised, but a Keurig system with a cheap Aerolatte Milk Frother might still be better, but not if you don't want the extra clean up. The Keurig's coffee taste better, has a much larger selection, and is more convient to buy. As long as you didn't have the machine turned off the Keurig system is also faster. That about wraps it up, so I hope I've given you enough information to decide between the two.

I admit it. I love the smell of fresh coffee, but after it's sat for a while in a coffee pot, growing stronger and more bitter by the microsecond, I hate coffee. A friend of my daughter's bought her a Tassimo as a wedding gift, and every time we visited, she offered us the hot beverage of our choice. Now one thing I am for sure is a gadget-lover, and I fell in love with this one. So my daughter, son and husband surprised me with this wonderful machine on my recent birthday. As I sit here writing this review, I am enjoying a cup of Gevalia with cream. And I didn't have to make a whole pot which I would later end up dumping because of bitter taste which makes me cringe to think about.

When I don't feel like having coffee, I can make tea, cappuccino, latte, and many others (I'm sure) which I haven't yet discovered. Every morning, my husband has his traditional Lipton tea first and then his second beverage before heading off to work, a fresh cup of breakfast coffee. My son's favorite is Maxwell House French Vanilla. Within a few short minutes, we can each have the beverage of our choice.

So, if you're like me ... a finicky coffee drinker, or if you just want to improve your coffee experience, this is the machine for you. Buy one ... and have a cup of coffee on me!

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We've had this for about 3 weeks and enjoy it quite a bit.

I've oned a Keurig B77, Melita one:one, B&D Home Cafe, french press etc.

Our one year old keurig died with a failed pump and while I had much parafinalia for it I decided to try something different.

The t20 was the most readily available model but from some coffee site reviews the previous models were better made but the resulting brew was the same.

Size & appearance

The footprint of the T20 is very acceptable; about the same size footprint wise as a standard automatic drip coffee maker or about roughly 2 gallon milk jugs one in front of the other. Not too bad really.

The colors available at wal-mart were black or black. You can buy colored front inserts for about $20 to jazz up your maker if that's your thing, but the rest of the unit is still black. I've seen white units for sale too but not locally.

It's a bit modern looking, sleek with clean lines. The Keurig by contrast was HUGE and quite well ugly. This is fairly short too so we put a shelf right above it to hold the t-disc boxes. That's a nice touch for us since counter & cabinet space is at a premium.

Operation

Pretty straight forward; what you'd expect if you've used a pod/k-cup/disc type system before.

You simply lift the lever to open the top of the unit. Place your t-disc FACE DOWN so the unit can read the barcode, push down on the lever to close the unit and press the big button. That's it.

You MUST use the cleaning disc to descale or brew hot water. The brewer will not operate without a disc in it. There's a handy slot in the back to store your cleaning disc, but it's not so hand if you simply want hot water. This is a BAD design feature. For the life of me I cannot see why a compture controlled device cannot have a default brew setting. It baffles me. Simply baffles. So, DO NOT LOOSE, the cleaning disc and make sure you don't damage the barcode on the disc. The brewer reads the barcode to determine what it is brewing and how to brew it (amount of water, temp of water, brew time etc) so it won't work without a t-disc or the cleaning disc in it.

The tank removes and installs quite easily. You can pull it up and slide it out from the side. We use bottled water since we are on a well and have massive mineral deposit problems and it's be nicer for a bit bigger fill hole just to make it a bit easier to refill without removing the tank. Drop it and it break$.

The power button is on the front of the unit right below the brew button. The unit goes into standby after a time then it seems shuts down eventually without use. I thought this would be a problem but it isn't. I have to turn the unit on in the morning but as soon as I put the disc in and hit brew it starts brewing and about 1 minute later I have coffee!!! The Keurig took at least 2 minutes to warm up but my B77 model had a timer to turn it on before I got up so that wan't an issue.

You can stop the brewing cycle short by pressing the brew button at any time or after the brewing cycle is done you can hold in the brew button to extend the cycle for a larger, but weaker, cup of coffee. There are only I believe 4 icons (ready, brewing, add water and descale). Pretty simple to operate.

The cup holder can be adjusted up for small containers for brews like espresso or removed entirely for a travel mug.

Taste

Locally we can get the Maxwellhouse Master Blend and Morning Blend plus Maxwellhouse Decaf. I've tried the first two. I really liked the Master Blend which brews about an 8 oz cup but wasn't happy with the Brreakfast Blend which brews a 12 oz cup. Not the best Breakfast Blend I've ever had.

We also received 2 pack of coffee free when we registered our brewer. We chose the Master Lorenzo Espresso and the Crema. I haven't tried the Espresso but my wife says she was happy with 3 brews from it! BUT her only requirement for coffee is that's it's strong taste is not relevent to her; she believes the stronger and darkere the brew the more of a caffine kick she'll get. The Crema was very nice. That said I can't say if it's the brewer or the coffee but they work well together.

I'd suggest you check the variety and prices if you are wavering betweek a k-cup and a t-disc brewer. It seems that the t-discs are cheaper per disc by about 18-20 cents for "normal" coffee while the Starbucks seem to be double. Speaking of Starbucks, if that's your selling point I understand they are no longer making t-discs. Available quantities are all that's left. K-cups have a much larger variety of coffees available too; as well as teas and cocoas (which are available in t-discs but without the variety).

As far as i can find there is no way to use your own coffee with the Tassimo. If that's a selling point for you go with the k-cup system the Solofil refillable k-cup is the best of the available reusable k-cups.

Conclusion.

If you want a single serve automatic brewer in this price range this is a good choice. You can go cheaper but what you'll get is probably a mini automatic-drip machine which take much longer to brew and isn't very good. If you want cheap get a french press it's manual but it's cheap and makes very good coffee.

Cons: variety. Price of teas!!! I haven't tried the tea simply because of the price after you add in shipping. I loved the tea in my keurig; good cup of tea so I'll eventually try it with the Tassimo when I put an order together at Amazon that nets me free shipping.

Good luck and good brewing.

Danneauxs

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I've had this Tassimo T20 for just over a month now. The coffee that you can get in the form of the T Discs are not as huge as the competitor the Keurig. You can get Starbucks, Gevalia, Maxwell House, Jacobs, Nabob, Seattle's Best and hot chocolate from Suckards and teas from Twinings.

As far as the machine is considered, this beverage delivery system is made by Bosch and so far I have not had any issues with it. The first time that we tried to make the Suckard Hot Chocolate, the chocolate was very thin, but this was due to a defect on the T-Disc. All the coffee has been great and of course it depends on your liking and choice for the types or roast.

With this machine you can make Lattes and Capuccinos, and they taste just like the ones you would buy at Starbucks for . I am very impressed with the Lattes from Maxwell House. I've tried the Starbucks Colombian, the Breakfast Blend, Gevalia Morning Blend, Gevalia Swiss Hazelnut, Maxwell House House Blend, and the Maxwell House Caramel Latte. So far, the best are the Starbucks Colombian and Gevalia Swiss Hazelnut. The Maxwell House Blend needs lots of creamer as this one leaves a metallic after taste.

You can also just heat water if you want to make other drinks as your own tea. Most drinks brew in about 90 seconds from the time insert the T-Disc and push the Brew button. It makes drinks from 3oz for the Espressos to 12oz on the morning blends; most drinks are 8oz.

The only drawback and the reason I don't give it a full 5 star rating is the lack of market penetration at the local supermarkets (the machine itself would be 5) Local choices are limited to just a few, usually Starbucks and Maxwell House; so if you want to try the other variations you have to order from Tasssimo Direct of Amazon if you can find them. There is also rumors that Starbucks may be pulling OUT of the Tassimo; so again choices that are already scarse now will be even harder to find the good stuff.

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Ok, the trouble started when my husband got hooked on his $$$ Jura machine at his home office next doors. While I admit being a grateful recipient of the occasional -amazingcup of espresso from the Jura, the offers aren't very frequent (sheesh). It no longer made sense making a pot of coffee just for me in the am, plus it took too much time. Coffeeless on the way to work too many times, I caught myself longing for my office Keurig. So I decided to buy another one-cup coffee maker, and chose the Tassimo just to give it a try. I won't go through the issues raised by other comparisons here, just a list of matters that to my mind make the Keurig far superior to the Tassimo from a practical standpoint.

Tassimo pros:

-More compact on the counter (though this is mitigated if one buys the compact KeurigI have the Pro model, which I don't regret).

-Euro design courtesy of Bosch (though my Pro Keurig also looks nice).

-Ability to make frothed and espresso/crema drinks.

Tassimo cons:

-Coffee sprays too much making a mess if close to a wall (this with the special stand and a regular cup in place).

-T-cups are more expensive and have less variety than Keurig.

-Drinks somehow come out scalding hot (not the case with my Keurig): about 5 mins later, they are drinkable.

-Less brewing flexibility due to the automated/barcode led brewing process: for instance I can't choose the size of my drink with any t-cup, the machine chooses it for me.

-The water tank is much smaller than my Keurig, resulting in more refills.

-The frothing works, yes, but then milk t-cups cost as much as a coffee cartridge: a cappuccino pack for instance has 16 t-disks but that breaks down in 8 coffee disks and 8 milk disks: so one ends up paying 10+ bucks for 8 cups of coffee. Btw one can buy a milk cartridge pack separately, but at a ridiculous price in my view. In effect, this whole thing means I won't be using the frothing capability much because of the price of milk disks. In other words, I should have bought another Keurig.

-The verdict is still out on espresso-making capabilities, haven't tried. The Gevalia Crema is OK (this is a full coffee drink, not an espresso), but the crema is rather thin.

May the force.

UPDATE: tried the Carte Noir 'Expresso' (it's called espresso, folks), which instantly brews a delicious and rich espresso, nice crema on top; the home-made milk froth works great for a cappuccino btw -so at least to my mind this somewhat justifies the Tassimo purchase. Still, Tassimo, please make the milk discs cheaper!

UPDATE2: Gevalia Espresso: even better.

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Ascaso BasicBlack Espresso Machine With BuitIn Cup Warmer

This is an extremely complicated machine to use. Not only that, there is a tendency for the pressure to build up in the grouphead after the espresso extraction, causing the grounds to explode all over the place when removing the portafilter. It's an inexpensive machine, but it's a waste of money.

By the way, I bought this from 1st-line Equipment online and was very unsatisfied with their customer service. I will never use them again.

Purchased this machine to replace old Italian job that had served me well for over 3 yrs (still works) and after less than 6 months seems like pump is on it's last leg. Buyer beware!!

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Chemex Eight Cup Glass Coffee Maker with Glass Handle - 2-8 cup (40oz.) Coffee Maker

So simple. Put in a filter, add coffee, pour hot water over it, drippity drip, drink.

There are several sizes available from these guys this one works for me and I like having the handle rather than that weird wooden belt thing to grip it by. I discovered that their branded filter papers are better than trying to just use cheapie grocery store ones, but those will work too. The flimsier ones bend themselves into the groove and create a seal, which can lead to a burbly mess as displaced air in the bottom chamber tries to escape, bringing coffee with it. If you want to use the cheap filters, lay a straw inside the groove so there's a place for the air to escape. Whether the flavor is better with their branded filters is a holy war I'm not getting into.

I've had both the older, classic Chemex coffee maker -the one with the two-part birch handle, secured with rawhide -and this newer design, with the integrated glass handle. Although the classic design is in many ways more beautiful, the glass-handle model is far more practical. You can put the coffee maker in the dishwasher, and there is no wooden handle to split or warp, something that eventually happens with the classic model, no matter how careful you are. Of course they both make great coffee, as long as you rememeber to use real Chemex filters and, of course, to "blast the beans" with water just below the boiling point.

One final point: this is a coffee maker designed for someone who wants real, flavorful, strong coffee and is willing to take five or ten minutes to achieve it. It's not for those times on sleepy Monday mornings, when all you want is a vehicle for infusing caffeine into your system. You might want to consider two coffee makers, an automatic drip system for your daily, morning brew and a Chemex coffee maker for when you have more time, in the evening or on the weekend.

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Best cup of coffee ever! We use this daily and I don't find that the extra time needed to be a bother. I grind the beans while waiting for the tea kettle to boil and then slowly pour water over the coffee. The taste difference, compared to an automatic drip machine, is astonishing. Tip! Use a Chemex filter for at least two reasons: they definitely make the coffee taste better than grocery store filters and they work with the Chemex carafe opening much better.

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This is a simple and elegant device for preparing and serving pour over coffee. If you don't drink it all at once, I recommend the glass lid that can be purchased separately and the metal grate for electric burners so that you can warm your coffee on the stove top. Easy to use and easy to clean.

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OK I admit, I am a klutz, but I was extremely disapointed by the lack of glass thickness. Guess I thought I was purchasing either thick glass or a Pyrex-type product. Love the idea, and the worked wonderfully until I broke it on my granite countertop after the 4th use, but I went straight to Target after breaking it and purchased a very thick glass pitcher for $12. And, I use the Chemex filters with it just fine. So, my recommendation is to get the filters and skip this pitcher, instead opting for something much lower in cost and much more durable wish someone made this recommendation to me before purchasing!

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Second Generation Coffeeduck PERMANENT Refillable Coffee Filter for the Senseo SUPREME & DELUXE ONLY

For starters, this definitely DOES work with the Senseo Supreme that Amazon sells. I don't know what problems other people had, but I have a suspicion that it comes from how sensitive this is to correctly loading the coffee.

The Coffeeduck works great if you use it correctly.

I'm giving it four stars, instead of five, because it's tedious to use. And if you don't read the instructions and pay attention to what it says then you're going to be unhappy. I've had this for two weeks, using it about five times a day, and I've got the routine figured out. If you're not mechanically inclined then you probably won't like this. A friend watched me use this and immediately said "I'm just going to stick with the pods".

You cannot fill the Coffeeduck all the way to the physical top of the metal carrier. If you do this then the Senseo will not close. I suspect that this might have been the problem for the other reviewers here that said these aren't compatible. Instead you fill it to a smaller lip 2/3 of the way up (the instructions describe this, but you need to pay attention to the instructions). The tricky bit is that you need to get all the coffee crumbs off of that lip, which can be tedious. If you don't do this correctly then things won't work well (the Senseo won't close, or you'll get watery coffee, or it will leak water).

Also, if you pack in the coffee too much then the Senseo won't be able to pump the water through the coffee, and instead the water will come spewing out the sides of the machine and all over your countertop. I don't think there's anything the coffeeduck designers could have done to improve this. It's just something you're going to have to learn.

Note: I suspect the Coffeeduck for the base model Senseo is easier to use. The metal coffee carrier for that unit is smaller, and there won't be the internal lip, making cleaning off the excess coffee crumbs far easier (fill it, wipe it, and go). If you haven't bought a Senseo yet, and you think that a Coffeeduck will be one of your primary uses, then I would get the base model Senseo along with the Coffeeduck Classic that is designed for it. If I had that model I would probably give it five stars.

This has been my favorite purchase of 2009. We have a Senseo Supreme and our coffee selections were very limited until Coffeeduck. It works perfectly every time, but should only be used with finely ground coffee.

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Use fine grind and it won't leak any water. Espresso grind won't allow the water to filter through.

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I own the Senseo SL7832/55 Single Serve Supreme Coffee Machine, Chrome. None of the Coffeeduck items mention this model. I contacted them in Holland and they told me this model would work in the 7832/55 but it doesn't. It fits too tight and strains the Senseo machine to close the lid. Since it doesn't fit, I really can't review it.

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Pros:

1. Works with Senseo SL7832/55 Supreme.

2. Saves money over time since Senseo pouch averages about 25-60 cents per cup of

coffee.

3. More choices of coffee. You're no longer limited to what the Senseo offers.

Cons:

1. Must use fine grinds in order to work properly. Unless you can get a grinder

that gets you the perfect grind everytime, you will probably experience water

leakage and grinds overflowing in the machine from time to time. Packing the

coffee grinds too tight will result in grind/water leakage also.

2. Time consuming to fill and clean. Like another reviewer mentioned, you have to

be careful when filling the coffee and keep the rim clean of any coffee grind.

After the brew, you will end up with quite a bit of watery sludge which could be

time consuming to clean.

3. Less or no foam. If you like the foam produced by the Senseo pods, you'll be

disappointed with the amount of (or lack of) foam the coffeeduck produces.

Conclusion:

While the Coffeeduck works as advertised, I feel that it defeats the purpose of buying a Senseo machine, which is the ease of use in the first place. With the Senseo, you can have a brewed cup of coffee with 2 press of buttons within a minute. With the Coffeeduck, I traded the convenience for the freedom of packing my own coffee grind. Unlike using the coffee pods, it has been difficult to get a consistent cup of coffee using the Coffeeduck. If you want the same convenience of using a Senseo pod but with your own coffee, I would suggest trying out other methods of using a paper coffee filter first.

Bialetti Brikka 4-Cup Stovetop Percolator

I actually bought this for my wife for her birthday but I think I enjoy it more then she does.

I know that this doesn't make "true" espresso but it comes mighty close in my opinion (i'm not much of a connoisseur, but I do love a good cup). In fact this is better then most any other espressos i've had! I love the coffee this thing produces! The first night I ended up drinking 6 shots of 'espresso' made with fresh Baba Budan beans and I still wanted more! I couldn't do it though because it was 1:00 in the morning and I was wide awake from drinking so much coffee.

Here are a few tips for you...

Make sure you have a Burr grinder. You want a fine grind (but not too fine) to get the most out of your coffee. Burr grinders can be quite the investment but well worth it. You will need a Burr grinder for any espresso machine anyways.

Make sure you have cups close by. This thing will suddenly shoot out coffee and if you're not quick enough you might get some coffee on your stove... as soon as you hear the gurgle and whistle get your cup ready! (you'll know what i'm talkin about...), After a few rounds you'll have it down.

Chances are your first pot will not turn out perfect (unless you've done something like this before...which I haven't). The good news is that after your first time you will understand how the process works and everything will be fine after that!

Clean this as soon as you can! It will be hot for awhile but try to clean it ASAP to make cleaning easier. It's worth it... trust me.

Follow the instructions EXACTLY. It's not hard to do by any means but make sure you read the instructions. if you accidently do something wrong such as pack in the coffee tightly then you will be sorry. The instructions are very simple but very useful.

I noticed one reviewer mentioned that this coffee comes out tasting burnt. If you grind your coffee too fine then it gets caked inside the coffee holder and it takes longer for the coffee to make it up inside the main chamber (excuse my lack of correct terminology). This does cause a burnt flavor because only a little bit of coffee comes out at a time which causes that little bit to become a bit burnt before the next splash comes through. If you grind it slightly more coarse then this will not happen and your coffee will taste amazing. I have a feeling that the people that mention the burnt flavor are grinding their coffee a bit too fine. You want the coffee to be ground fine but not like flour... more like fine sugar.

Have fun! This simple little gadget makes a fine cup. Enjoy!

The Bialetti Brikka makes the best Italian style espresso I've had outside of Italy the flavor and texture will take you back to the piazza cafes. Add some warm milk and froth for a perfect cappucino (I bought the Nissan/Frabosk milk frother as well). I found the directions and method easy with room for a little flexibility with amounts of water, coffee, etc. for your own individual taste. Making the espresso is fun I love waiting for the "whooosh" telling me the delicious crema is almost ready to pour into my cup. Clean up is easy, and the coffee tastes better each time I use the Brikka. One of my best purchases for the kitchen.

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I have both the 4-cup and 2-cup Brikkas, and I use both regularly. The last time I checked online a few months ago, both were available in North America.

They both can make an equally delicious espresso with a nice crema on top. It doesn't matter which one you use in my experience. You just have to have faith and keep trying them before giving up.

They are both "high maintenance" coffee pots compared to regular espresso pots. You can't just dump water & coffee in them and leave them on the stove for 5 minutes while you do something else. Brikkas are like fine pieces of art that need to be handled and pampered in special ways. Everything is a delicate balance, and you have to baby sit them during the whole process. But once you get the knack of it, you will get consistent results...and trust me, it is worth the effort. Here are 5 tips:

1) Just before assembling your pot with coffee, make sure the valve is not stuck. Jiggle it up and down a few times.

2) Experiment with different types and brands of espresso coffee. Sometimes the grains may be too small (or too large). Unfortunately, you can't really tell just by looking at the grains. This is one reason why people give up on the Brikka too soon.

3) When the pot is on the stove, you have to keep an eye on the valve. If it is "stuck down" then the coffee will struggle too much to come up, and it will be over-brewed (has a burnt caramel smell and taste). If you feel it is "stuck" then immediately prop it up with a metal utensil (definitely not with your fingers). I rarely have to do this anymore with my pots. I always pre-jiggle the valve, and adding a drop of vegetable oil to a disassembled valve seems to have helped. But this is one reason why you have to keep an eye on your Brikka while it brews.

4) Also, I often pour the coffee before it has finished brewing. I'd say that when it is just over half brewed, that is when I pour it into the cup(s). Then I put it back on the hot stove for a few more seconds while the rest of the coffee comes up. Then I pour the rest of that into the cup(s). I seem to get more crema that way than just waiting for all the coffee to come up.

5) If you're adding milk to your espresso (cold or warm), I recommend pouring the milk into the cup(s) before the coffee. This seems to keep the amount of crema at its maximum when serving your cup. That is actually what you are showing off (the crema), so the last thing you wanna do is cover that crema with anything. I don't add sugar, but if I did, I probably would add it and stir it along with the milk. Again, you want to serve the coffee as soon as possible after pouring it so you and your guests can enjoy the maximum amount of crema.

All of this eventually becomes second nature to you once you get used to it.

Whenever guests come over now, they EXPECT me to use my Brikkas for them, otherwise they are insulted.

The coffee is just as good as any fancy $1000 machine could make and for a fraction of the cost, and a Brikka will outlast any expensive machine. And although a Brikka may be more complicated to use than a typical espresso pot, I don't think it is more complicated to use than a machine. For a cappuccino/latte, I use either a glass Bodem milk frother (for the microwave) or a metal Bialetti milk frother (on the stove-top).

I wouldn't recommend a Brikka for people with limited patience in the kitchen or a limited appreciation for a fine cup of espresso with crema.

You should note that the crema doesn't last too long, so the person waiting for his/her cup has to be ready to drink it soon after you pour it.

Also, the amount of coffee these pots produce is a lot lower than you would think for the physical sizes of the pots. This is my biggest complaint. Most would agree that the 2-cup Brikka barely makes 1.5 cups and the 4-cup Brikka barely makes 3 cups (I would say it only makes 2 cups!). So, I often have to use both pots at the same time depending how many people are over.

Read Best Reviews of Bialetti Brikka 4-Cup Stovetop Percolator Here

this is the best espresso maker you can get. better than espresso made on $1k+ machines. the brikka is unlike any other bialetti stovetop, trust me. it looks similar but it ain't the same beast. the way the coffee EXPLODES out of the brikka makes it seem like something terribly wrong has happened (it's horrifying the first time you hear it). but it's actually making a delicious crema just for you. it's a delicate art form, you have to follow preparation directions to a "T." I'm still trying to figure out the best time to turn off the heat, the best time to remove from heat, the best time to pour... because it all affects the crema. HAVING SAID ALL THIS, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING THE 2 CUP INSTEAD OF THE 4 CUP. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I have both and the 4 cup never gets use because it doesn't taste as good as the 2 cup version. honestly. unfortunately, there is no distribution for the 2 cup in america so you have to find an italian website that has it and order from there. it will take four weeks or more to get to you. yeah, I know. it blows. but I have both and I know what I'm talking about. I'm not even a connoisseur, I just want coffee that doesn't totally suck. the 4 cup is just okay, but you're missing out on the real deal.

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I caught some reviews for this little wonder and would have been sceptical had it not been for the fact that it was developed and manufactured by Bialetti. Anyone who has ever been to Italy will know that everywhere you look you see Bialetti logo and since coffee is a way of life in Italy you know it's a brand that you can trust.

I have long since become used to some good results from Bialetti's Moka coffee makers, but they do require some practice to get the best results otherwise the coffee can taste burnt or over extracted and bitter. Moka coffee is not espresso in that it lacks the strength body and crema associated with espresso.

The Brika however delivers the kind of strength and body that a Moka cannot. Add to this the production of a very satisfying crema then you are on to a winner.

I went ahead and bought the four cup model despite seeing a lot of reviews that favour the two cup version. Contrary to what I have seen in many other reviews the four cup model does produce crema and plenty of it. If the two cup version really is better then I cant wait to get my hands on one of these as well.

Straight out of the box I have had great results even using some run of the mill coffee. The Brika can produce coffee that is very close to espresso in body and taste and with the addition of crema who needs one of those very expensive home espresso machines.

Does the Brika produce "real espresso"? I have read a few online debates on this but really who cares as the results are superb!

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Timothy's World Coffee Rainforest Decaf Espresso Extra-Bold for Keurig Brewers, 24 K-Cups with 2 Or

The decaf espresso has a great taste and is convenient to use. I was able to drink this espresso in the evenings, and it wouldn't keep me up at night. It works flawlessly with the Keurig B70 machine.

CAREFUL!! This is great coffee but for the price you only receive ONE 24-count box as opposed to TWO 24-count boxes as commonly offered with this variety and most other K-cup brands.

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It's hard to get excited about decaf. It usually lacks aroma and body of a good cup of regular coffee. However, there are times when you don't want the chemical stimulant and Timothy's Rainforest Decaf Expresso is a wonderful stand in for the regular stuff. Of course it is not caffeine free and part of Rainforest Decaf Expresso's great taste may be due to less processing to remove the naturally occurring chemical. Since I'm lacking any way to measure the caffeine level, suffice to say that it's more like reduced caffeine coffee with great taste.

Read Best Reviews of Timothy's World Coffee Rainforest Decaf Espresso Extra-Bold for Keurig Brewers, 24 K-Cups with 2 Or Here

I've tried so many decafs for the keurig and this is literally the best one. My husband and I really enjoy this.

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I am a coffee-aholic and have never been able to find a rich decaf for those late night coffee cravings. Then came Rainforest Decaf Espresso. Very bold and fabulous!